Fahrenheit 9/11

Theatrical Release Date: 2004 06 23 (USA - Limited) / 2004 06 25 (USA)

UPC: 043396086708

Studio: Columbia TriStar

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Adult Humor, Profanity]

Summary: Directed by Michael Moore, whose aura of controversy only grew after his Oscar acceptance speech at the 2003 Academy Awards, Fahrenheit 9/11, like Moore's Bowling For Columbine and Roger & Me, promises to expose the corporate wrongdoings and big-money scandals perpetrated by America's financial elite. This movie, however, looks beyond the inner echelons of General Motors and Lockheed Martin in hopes of outing the evildoers in the White House, particularly in regards to the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. In addition to criticizing the administration's handling of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, Moore digs deep into the surprising relationship with the Bin Laden family held by both Bush administrations, and questions whether or not potential Saudi involvement with the attacks has been ignored. As Fahrenheit 9/11's Cannes Film Festival debut approached, marking only the second time in 48 years that a documentary has been included among the festival's main competition, Miramax's parent company Disney announced it would not be distributing the film due to its partisan nature, and, according to Moore, out of trepidation that the Florida-based Goliath's multi-million-dollar tax breaks might be negatively affected by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, whose review within Fahrenheit 9/11 is less than favorable. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Category: Culture & Society

Awards: Freedom of Expression Award – National Board of Review Best Documentary [Runner-up] – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Documentary – San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Documentary – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Documentary – Directors Guild of America Best Documentary – New York Film Critics Circle Palme d'Or – Cannes Film Festival In Competition – Cannes Film Festival

Features: ccFeaturette: "The Release of Fahrenheit 9/11"
Montage: The People of Iraq on the Eve of Invasion
New scene: Homeland Security, Miami Style
Outside Abu Ghraib Prison
Eyewitness account from Samara, Iraq
Extended interview: More with Abdul Henderson
Lila Lipscomb at the Washington D.C. premiere
Arab-American Comedians - Their acts and experiences after 9/11
Condoleezza Rice's 9/11 Commission testimony
Rose Garden press briefing after 9/11 Commission appearance

Fahrenheit 9/11

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 10/05/2004

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Alternate Wide Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 122 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Start (Just a Dream?) [7:34]
2. Vacation [2:40]
3. Fahrenheit 9/11 [3:14]
4. September 11, 2001 [3:19]
5. In the Classroom [3:03]
6. Grounded [5:50]
7. Service Records [4:18]
8. Access Is Power [4:39]
9. 9/11 Commission [4:34]
10. Saudi Embassy [4:01]
11. Going to War [5:29]
12. Target: The American People [6:33]
13. The Patriot Act [4:08]
14. "No One Read It" [3:45]
15. Securing the Homeland [4:31]
16. The Real Plan [2:51]
17. The Ultimate Rush [3:40]
18. Trust [2:21]
19. Iraq [1:27]
20. An Independent Media [2:12]
21. Street Clashes [2:47]
22. New Recruits [7:06]
23. Christmas Eve in Iraq [3:33]
24. The Backbone of America [3:06]
25. Frontline [4:46]
26. "It Pains Me" [5:28]
27. Why We Fight [7:45]
28. Congressional Recruitment [7:21]

Tracie Cooper

Those seeking a 126-minute raging tirade, whether to reaffirm their own feelings regarding the 43rd President of the United States, or of Michael Moore as a preachy leftist shill, will find themselves disappointed with Fahrenheit 9/11. While unabashedly edited to suit the conclusions that Moore has already reached, it is a far cry from being a personal vendetta. Rather, the film is a harsh indictment of the long-term results of corrupt business dealings and social injustice, and at the same time a tribute to -- and a rallying cry for -- the distinctly American souls trying to keep their heads above water in the face of it. At one point, Moore comments that immoral behavior can only breed more of the same, and that sentiment, more than anything else, is F9/11's underlying theme. The Bush administration and the obvious state of disconnect between themselves and the individuals they send to war are not portrayed as a two-dimensional evil force, but as the inevitable result of decades of immorality. Bush himself is presented as an incompetent but necessary cog in a machine much older and more insidious than he is, and while Moore does not pretend to give his audience a wholly fair look at the President, it is hard to imagine a context where an antiterrorism speech hastily delivered on a golf course seconds before Bush asks onlookers to "watch this drive" is anything other than cruel and insulting to the people who have suffered at the hands of war. Yet, the Democrats don't escape entirely unscathed -- in the film's chilling opening scenes, former Vice President Al Gore is met with applause after rejecting the heartfelt pleas of several Congress members to investigate the claims of disenfranchisement among African-American voters in Florida before legitimizing the 2000 election. The overwhelming amount of information and atrocities are held together by Michigan native Lila Lipscomb, who, reeling from the news of her son's death in Iraq, manages to communicate a leaden, all-encompassing sadness that scenes of war carnage, 9/11 families, and disillusioned soldiers were unable to express by themselves. Regardless of Moore's political leanings, Fahrenheit 9/11 puts a face on the "war on terror," and begs Americans to never stop questioning their government's proposals -- even when they come gift-wrapped in flags. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Cast and Crew: George W. Bush  Actor 
Michael Moore  Actor 
Michael Moore  Director 
Michael Moore  Producer 
Michael Moore  Screenwriter 
Bob Weinstein  Executive Producer 
Harvey Weinstein  Executive Producer 
Kathleen Glynn  Producer 
Jim Czarnecki  Producer 
Agnes Mentre  Executive Producer 
Jeff Gibbs  Composer (Music Score) 

Country: USA